


Greatest Gift

by incogniteau



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Bucky Barnes Feels, Fluff, Gen, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, winterwidow - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22196566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incogniteau/pseuds/incogniteau
Summary: "The first time you met her, you shanked her in the gut. You’d caught her unawares, and, eager to please...drove your blade into her abdomen."After the events of the Black Widow (2016) comics run, you were adopted by Natasha Romanoff. She'd been where you'd been, and she wanted to give you a life of so much more. This is your first Christmas together and your first Christmas ever.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes and teen reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Natasha Romanov and teen daughter reader
Kudos: 20





	Greatest Gift

**Author's Note:**

> My mother has recorded tons of Hallmark Christmas movies and has been binging them since November; some of the schmaltz must have seeped into my subconscious, and this belated Christmas fic is the result :)
> 
> Universe: Takes place after events of the Black Widow (2016) comics by Waid and Samnee (spoilers for the run)
> 
> Warnings: none really

The first time you met her, you shanked her in the gut.

She’d been prowling around the catacombs of the Red Room, searching for incriminating documents requested by the Weeping Lion. Your headmistress sent you to dispatch of her. You’d caught her unawares, and, eager to please and show why you were the first girl chosen for the Dark Room, drove your blade into her abdomen.

The second time you met her, you were one of six remaining girls of the Dark Room, a second incarnation of the Red Room from a couple of decades ago. You knew she was the reason three of your cohorts were now undergoing deprogramming and were going to be sent off to live with foster or adoptive families. Natasha, disguised as a White House tour guide, had foiled an attempt on the Vice President’s life. Black Widow was an enemy of your headmistress, and, thus, an enemy of yours.

Until she’d saved your life along with the other girls’ lives, and made you see the headmistress’ true colors.

The group was split up and divided to kindly foster families, and you all even had your education completely paid for all the way up through graduate school should you choose to attend, courtesy of Tony Stark. You could be currently attending a high end private school, but Natasha, your adoptive mother, thought a public high school would afford you a little more freedom, considering the institution she’d just rescued you from.

But, make no mistake, Nat made sure you took honors and advanced placement classes and pushed yourself to study hard and do your best. And when you came home one day, and informed her that you’d made the varsity girls’ soccer team, she made sure she attended every one of your matches that she was able. Seeing her bright red hair in the stands and knowing she was watching and cheering for you made you want to unequivocally kick the other team’s collective ass.

However, things didn’t come quickly or easily. The two of you have been in each other’s lives for almost a full year, and yet you haven’t called her “mama” yet. And neither one of you have told the other “I love you,” though you know she does love you through her actions. It had taken you a little over three months just to go from calling her “Agent Romanoff” to “Natasha.”

Presently, you sat on the couch with your biology book open on your lap, a mug of hot chocolate held in your hands. Your attention wasn’t on the last of your assignments before the holiday; instead you were staring at the tree in the corner of the living room you and Natasha had decorated together. You didn’t celebrate birthdays or holidays in the Dark Room, so this coming Christmas was going to be your first.

You were troubled by the fact you had no idea what sort of gift to give her. And even if you knew, your cash flow was limited to the weekly allowance Nat gave you for the chores you did around the house. You wanted to give her something really amazing, but, again, had no clue what that could be.

“Hey, kid.”

Abruptly jerked out of your thoughts, you looked up to see Bucky Barnes, Natasha’s boyfriend. Though she called him “James,” he’d introduced himself to you as “Bucky.” Gradually, over time, you’d become comfortable around him. He often included you on outings with Nat, and sometimes just the two of you hung out. He knew it was important to build a relationship with you if he was going to continue to be with Natasha.

“You’ve got that ‘thinkin’ hard’ game face on. What’s got you worried?”

“I don’t know what to get Natasha for Christmas.”

Bucky laughed. “Join the club.”

You frowned, unsure what he meant.

“When I was a kid, my ma always loved the homemade gifts the best. I made her a necklace, and she never took it off. I baked her her favorite cake one year, and one time, my aunt even helped me sew her a dress. Picked out the pattern, the fabric, everything.”

Well, there was only one thing you knew how to make. Your friend, Chantel, who you’d met when you were paired up for the frog dissection lab, had shown you how to make friendship bracelets of varying widths and designs.

“Bucky, can you take me to the craft store to buy a few things?”

He grinned at you. “Sure thing, kiddo.”

***

“Annnnnndddd this one is _also_ for Y/N,” Bucky said handing you another present from under the tree. “Geez, kid, you’re makin’ out pretty good.”

It was true. Most of the presents beneath the tree were for you.

“Just two left. Oh, this one is for you, James.” Natasha handed him a small box. “And this one is for me. They’re both from Y/N.” She smiled at you.

Your hands suddenly started to sweat, and you nervously wiped your palms on your fuzzy, Grinch-themed pajama pants. You really hoped they liked what you made for them.

“Oh, solnyshko,” Tasha breathed. “This is wonderful.”

You’d made the three of you friendship bracelets with a gray background and a pattern of alternating red hourglass, bright yellow sun, and a red star. According to Nat, the bright yellow sun was you; “solnyshko”, her term of endearment for you, because you were the center of her world now.

You looked at her, her eyes were full and shining.

“This is the second best gift I’ve ever received.”

You frowned at that statement. Wait, what? _Second_ best?

“The greatest gift I ever received was you.”

“Mama,” you said throwing your arms around her. Your eyes and hers finally spilled. “I love you,” the both of you told each other at the same time. The two of you clung to each other until somebody across the room cleared their throat.

“Alright, turn the tap off the sap.”

You and your mother looked over with small, playful glares in your eyes.

Bucky’s eyes shone and his voice was husky with emotion. “Or at least let me in on it.”

He moved over to where the two of you sat embraced and put his arms around both of you. He kissed your head first and then Natasha’s.

“Christmas with my two gals; couldn’t have wished for anything better.”


End file.
